Chapter 57: The Yacht Club Trap
The academy was home to numerous clubs.
From small ones like reading, tea, and drama clubs to larger ones like swordsmanship, horseback riding, and magic research clubs.
The academy, which encouraged students’ social interactions and exploration, approved almost any club as long as it wasn’t particularly strange.
Thanks to this, over hundreds of clubs had emerged, but among them, the yacht club was undoubtedly the best.
Known to be accessible only to the top 5% of the academy, requiring an invitation from an insider, it was the club that all students dreamed of.
There was no other reason. The members of the yacht club were well-known figures not only in the academy but throughout the Empire.
School connections, regional connections, and blood relations were universal truths in any world, and the yacht club was the ultimate stage for ordinary students to build the best school connections.
’Hmm....’
As the luxurious yacht docked at the pier, masked members began boarding one by one.
Gerhard Goldenheim sat in a chair, waiting for Luina.
It was the rule of the yacht club that the person who extended the invitation had to accompany their partner.
’Beyond there will soon be covered with monsters.’
After briefly contemplating the future while enjoying the sea breeze, Luina approached him.
"...Didn’t you say you went dress shopping with Bella Hoenne?"
"I did."
"Then why are you wearing a knight’s uniform?"
Since it was common for knights to wear this when officially attending parties, it wasn’t a big issue.
However, at this event, she was supposed to attend as student Luina, not knight Luina.
When everyone else was wearing dresses, standing out alone in a knight’s uniform would be conspicuous to anyone.
"...Those fluttery things are somewhat off-putting... Moreover, we might have to fight. I can’t be fully prepared in a dress...."
Luina stuttered with her excuse.
But she wasn’t wrong. Fighting in a dress would indeed be difficult.
"...Well, it’s fine. It’s not against etiquette. Whether you wear a dress or a uniform, everyone will recognize you anyway."
Though the concept was a masquerade ball, the masks themselves held little meaning.
They had spent too much time together in the academy to not recognize each other just because of a mask.
"So what exactly is my role here?"
"To enjoy yourself."
"Pardon?"
"You’ve come to a ball, haven’t you? The yacht club is essentially a social club. Until I signal you, just enjoy the ball normally."
"...Understood."
"Have you ever attended a ball before?"
After hesitating briefly, Luina shook her head.
"My family circumstances weren’t good, so I didn’t have the luxury of attending parties."
"I made a mistake. I apologize."
It was said that even a wealthy family could sustain itself for three years after bankruptcy.
Despite their declining fortunes, he never imagined that someone from a Margrave’s family would never have attended a single ball.
"It’s alright. It’s not that I never had opportunities; I just chose not to attend."
"I thought as much."
Yes, it couldn’t have been that she had no opportunities at all.
Satisfied with the explanation, Gerhard adjusted his attire and glanced around.
He spotted other invitation holders.
"I’m nervous. It’s my first time at a party."
"Don’t worry too much. People are all the same."
Two men with similar brown eyes beneath masks without any distinctive patterns.
With neat black-blue hair and splendid blonde hair, Gerhard immediately identified them.
’Balrosi Viston and Aint Armian.’
Despite wearing masks, people had their unique auras and voices.
"You’re here?"
Another masked figure approached them.
’Alkan Chayson?’
With a very slender build, grayish hair, and blue eyes, he was the second-ranked third-year in the Knight Department and one of Rudger’s close associates.
"Pleased to meet you. I’m Aint Armian."
"I know. Is there anyone in the academy who doesn’t know you? Nice to meet you. I’m Alkan Chayson."
He looked like a gigolo and was quite popular in the academy.
’Was he the one who gave the invitation? If so, Rudger?’
Aint had attended the yacht club and was attacked by evil ones.
Given that the evil ones had infiltrated as staff in advance, it was clearly a planned event.
If that was the case, luring Aint to the yacht club in the first place was problematic.
"Let’s go in first."
"Yes."
"Yes, senior."
That’s why when Balrosi made the proposal, he found it a bit strange.
Balrosi Viston was clearly an ally who would become Aint’s comrade, so it didn’t make sense for him to collude with evil ones to trap Aint.
It would be understandable if the person who handed the invitation through Balrosi was the issue, but if the backer was Rudger, it was a bit hard to comprehend.
’Rudger isn’t stupid, so he wouldn’t collaborate with evil ones, would he?’
Even though demons had disappeared, the Empire was established by saving the world from demons.
Demons were still the main enemies of the Empire, and it would be truly foolish for a prince to be involved with evil ones.
’It’s too early to make a judgment.’
There could be other possibilities: Alkan Chayson having another motive, Rudger not knowing that they were evil ones, or just a coincidence.
’Or Rudger might just have some scheme against Aint.’
There might be an evil one secretly operating around Rudger, instigating him.
Gerhard considered various possibilities.
Regardless of the answer, it was difficult to make a definitive judgment right now.
"Who are you looking at so intently... It’s Senior Alkan."
Luina spoke as Gerhard’s gaze remained fixed on one spot.
"The other two are Aint Armian and Balrosi Viston? It seems Senior Alkan sent them invitations."
"You recognized them immediately?"
"I’ve been keeping an eye on both of them. Even if not, they’re too famous to hide their identities with just masks."
That was true.
For different reasons, both Balrosi Viston and Aint Armian had been surrounded by all sorts of rumors since their admission.
After confirming that they presented their invitations and boarded the ship, Gerhard extended his hand to Luina.
"Well, shall we go in too? Should I call you ’lady’?"
Luina stared blankly at his hand.
"That’s a rather awkward thing to say. Is it necessary to hold hands?"
"Aren’t we partners?"
There was no need to escort her as a partner. Some events had such a concept, but not this one.
Nevertheless, Gerhard’s insistence was to showcase his familiarity with Luina.
Regardless of the reason, Luina was one of the two people Gerhard needed to befriend along with Aint.
’I’ve already made significant investments and built some rapport.’
Now it was also important to mark her so that others wouldn’t dare to covet her.
"...Alright."
After hesitating briefly, Luina took Gerhard’s hand. The two slowly made their way toward the ship.
"Welcome, Branch Manager."
An employee of the Golden Turtle Company managing the ship bowed his head.
"Is everyone here?"
"Yes. Everyone has entered, including the two new members who just arrived."
"Rudger came earlier than expected."
He was always the type to enjoy the attention by arriving last.
Slightly puzzled, Gerhard and Luina boarded the ship.
Sweet music played by a band filled the luxurious interior of the yacht.
Chefs on standby served fresh food, and servants positioned throughout the ship attended to the comfort of the masked members.
The students, who had been chattering, should have focused their attention on the arrival of new figures and noted that Gerhard and Luina entered together.
Yes, they should have.
But the music was abruptly cut off.
The food service had stopped, and all the servants were huddled in corners, holding their breath.
"This is...."
"An interesting sight."
And the students had already diverted the attention they should have given to Gerhard and Luina elsewhere.
There, one of the scenarios Gerhard had anticipated was unfolding.
Aint and Rudger.
Armian and Schwaben.
A small smile hung on Rudger’s lips as he gazed at his opponent with a relaxed attitude.
On the opposite side, Aint’s pupils trembled slightly, his posture rigid.
The bloodlines of the current and former imperial families had finally met.
"No wonder we’re overshadowed."
Indeed, the meeting of the current and former imperial families couldn’t be outshone by the mere entrance of a debtor and a creditor.
***
"Ah, I can’t bring Lord Gardner to the banquet hall."
Aint, checking his attire as the appointed time approached, unfastened the sword at his waist and placed it on the bed.
But he soon had to pick it up again.
<Don’t worry.>
<Remember I told you that the sword has mithril mixed in? Mithril can not only accept souls but also has various superior utilities.>
For example, like this.
<It can also shrink.>
The sword, which had been in the form of a bastard sword, had turned into a small dagger.
No, it had shrunk so much that it would be generous to even call it a dagger.
"This is possible?"
Quite amazed, Aint kept handling it.
<Get a string and wear it around your neck. No one will doubt it’s a necklace.>
"That would look strange."
<True. Anyway, I can’t miss meeting the bloodline of that treacherous dog who dared to betray the Armian.>
<I must witness that scene.>
"Betrayer?"
<They’re betrayers who turned their backs on the grace of being made Margraves and aimed for the emperor’s position.>
"...Hmm."
Aint silently scratched his cheek.
Not hereditary, but the emperor would be determined by the choice of the Margraves.
Originally, this was the national law established by the first emperor, but Aint chose not to mention it.
Regardless of the reasons and causes, the Schwaben, who had stolen the throne and provided the beginning of their downfall, wasn’t favorable even from his perspective.
"By the way, what’s the real reason they invited me? I heard the person who gave the invitation is a close associate of Rudger Schwaben."
<Why are you pondering over such things? It’s obviously one of the four.>
"One of the four?"
<First, Rudger Schwaben might have some scheme.>
The Empire’s second prince, who was clearly holding a grudge against Aint.
As a key figure in the yacht club, he had the highest possibility of orchestrating this.
<Second, Gerhard Goldenheim might have some scheme.>
A merchant who had casually given away a Saint Bird’s heart and recently traded adamant.
He was also associated with the yacht club.
It was said that his influence had transformed a regular social club into the yacht club.
<Third, Balrosi Viston might have some scheme.>
The heir of a great family who had been full of inexplicable goodwill since their first meeting.
Aint and Gardner still couldn’t discern his intentions.
"What’s the last one? Is there someone else with the power to send an invitation?"
<Or Balrosi Viston might just be crazy.>
The last one was half a joke. From what they had experienced, Balrosi wasn’t a crazy person, but he clearly had some agenda.
And the conclusion was...
"At the academy, one must follow the academy’s rules. The academy is equal."
<It was the first one.>
"But that’s only for peers. Aint Armian, as your senior, I expect at least a greeting, formality, and courtesy from a junior."
It came out sooner than expected.